To:
Assistant Chief Counsel Representing DHS in Court

Stop Francisco Silva's Deportation

We are writing in support of the use for the use of Prosecutorial Discretion to administratively close Mr. Francisco Silva's (A 206-788-982) deportation proceedings.

Mr. Silva is an integral part of his Chicago community. He has been in the United States for 17 years and has built a life with his partner and 14-year-old U.S. citizen child in the Albany Park neighborhood. The letters of support from his community are a testament to the positive effect he has had on his community.

His 14-year-old son Javi is having a especially difficult time dealing with his father’s deportation case and is living under constant panic that his father will not be home when he returns from school.

Mr. Silva recognizes that he has made mistakes in the past but has taken all of the necessary steps to address those mistakes. He has attended classes, paid fines, and spent time in jail in order to correct his mistake. Mr. Silva has become an active member of his community, often attending community gatherings and assisting others in his neighborhood to do so.

We as an undersigned community urge you to take into full consideration the many positive factors in Mrs. Francisco Silva’s life and use discretion to allow him to stay in Chicago with his family, friends, and community.

Why is this important?

Francisco Silva is a loving father and husband. Despite having been in the United States for 17 years, and having built a life with his family in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood Francisco is at risk of being deported.

In the last year, Francisco, his partner, and son have become an integral part of our community. They’re always taking the time to be present at community gatherings, share their thoughts, and assist others in their neighborhood. The bounty of letters they have been able to gather from community members is a testament to the affect he has had in his community.

Francisco’s 14 year old son Javi looks up to him and has been extremely stressed over his father’s case. Javi is a U.S. citizen who is having to grow up under a constant state of panic, unsure if his family will be allowed to remain intact living in the United States.

If Francisco is deported and his family is torn apart, it will be due to the government’s overuse of power and inability to empathize with migrant families. On April 2015 Francisco was stopped by the police and accused of driving under the influence. For this, Francisco took all the necessary steps to address his mistake - he attended classes, paid fines, and was held in jail. It was in jail that Francisco was held for more time then was determined by the Judge and ICE took the opportunity to put him in deportation proceedings. This is just one more example of the way in which the police and ICE collaborate to maintain a system of mass deportations. Francisco wants to do right by his community, and tearing his family apart is not going to make our streets safer.

We are in support of our entire community and refuse to legitimize any divisive narratives. Francisco is part of our community and we are here to support him and his family until there is not one more deportation.

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